divina

stay metric! use half as much simple syrup as vodka! since you can drink 100 proof vodka straight, make a simple syrup using 100ml of water and 100 gr of sugar. add it a little at at time..tasting for sweetness! not sweet enough.. make more syrup! I notice a lot of you use a microplaner for zesting.. I use a potato peeler.. difference? I live in Italy and have been making limoncello for about 15 years... use whole grain and only 3 days...

When I took classes at Suzanna trillings Seasons of my Heart in Oaxaca. we made cheese..and used rennet, ( piece of cows stomach dried) I would assume that the fabulous flavor as in Mozzarella di Bufala here in Italy is the quality of the milk. not over pasteurized.

are you staying on after.. to go to a festival.. they are only on weekends

I have an antique mold used for the Gelo, also made with almond milk.. will foto and put online. They are really nice and usually have some sort of a religious design.

what are your dates? are you teaching for 7 days... and only have three free???

I prefer the Granita di cocomero, ( watermelon granita) to the gelo.. check out my foto on my site. the chocolate chip seeds are great! Watermelon Granita August 10th is the Notte di San Lorenzo and the Mercato Centrale of Florence, called MErcato San Lorenzo celebrates! San Lorenzo ( Saint Lawrence, also as in Toronto's market) was grilled to death.. martyred!! so one of the Patron Saints of cooks!

I teach cooking....and eat! I am not sure about Vespa rental in Viareggio off season.. and also not sure about driving a Vespa long distances in November..cold rain...dark! where are you taking classes? My website and my blog are in my signature.. there is a dining guide online for Florence and chianti on my site as well as recipes!

Just posted the Tonno di Coniglio on my blog. made it the other day and ate it today. AS ingbakko says, using todays rabbits, are a little too delicate, but was ok. I chopped the garlic and sage, and think it would have been better if I did it tradtionally and just put in whole leaves and whole garlic cloves. Will try again with a Free Range Chicken.

FLorence has been my home now for 21 years, left San Francisco in 1984, was a pastry chef at the Stanford Court Hotel. November is white truffles... the weekends are White Truffle festivals, the closest one to you is the San Miniato .. closer to Pisa. I love eating dinner at Mulino del Cibus in Castelnuovo Magra..a group of friends with a fun local place in one of the guys grandfathers old mill, hence Mulino. Great wine selection... don't know if it would be fun eating alone though.

how long is the class and how long are you staying. There are a zillion places to visit...in Tuscany, and liguria, based on your time frame! Of course I would say come to Florence to see the fabulous markets, San Lorenzo and San Ambrogio..

I am in Florence.. how about more info? are you going to be working in Viareggio??? or cooking for fun? if you are working. there probably won't be much time off, usually one day a week! let me know. Will you have a car?

One important thing to know is that in Italy that the flour we use is low gluten pastry flour, so the ratio to butter etc, is important.. OO flour is what i s used And I believe you use White Lily in place of it, or King Arthur sells some Italian pastry flour. If you use all purpose flour.. it changes!

The rabbit is left whole... boiled for an hour in water with carrot, onion with cloves, celery, bay leaves. Let cool in broth. Pull meat off in big pieces, lightly salt and put in a bowl or jar, layering with sage, garlic, lemon juice and then cover with EV olive oil and let marinade. Lovely in the summer... no rabbit, try chicken!

There is also a great recipe for Tonno di coniglio.. from liguria??? where it is boiled in wine then packed in oil???

Le Carozze is near the Ponte vecchio... all is fabulous!!! I also am also semifreddo fan!

The technique is called Arrosto Morto, a stove top style of cooking commonly used here. Sounds good,as always there are variations... I use a branch of rosemary or sage, whole garlic clove or two.. Brown rabbit in oil with herbs and garlic. When brown, splash with white wine ( or red) season with salt,cover and cook stove top until rabbit is tender. If rabbit dries out, add some more wine.. or broth or water...in small amounts, scraping any lovely brwon bits!!! My friends mom adds pancetta bits which I really like! I also say let the rabbit sit in the pot and its sauce for awhile before serving, then remove the rabbit, reduce the sauce and put the rabbit back in just before serving! Bon Appetito! This same technique,with the addition of tomato sauce, was the original Cacciatore, where the sauce was served on the pasta.. no meat..( not enough money to have meat as a first course and main course) and then the meat was served as the main course, flavoring the tomato sauce with its lovely infusion! Sometimes called sugo al pollo scappato ( ragu with runaway chicken)

I love my lillikoi curd from hawaii that someone brought me..and here in FLorence I had a fabulous passion fruit Mojito!!! WOW

the pistacchio at Carabe and Grom are both pure pistacchio from Bronte , Sicily!!! I have a small dining guide on my site and also a newsletter edition on gelato in florence. link in my signature!

I LOVE my little trullo!!! gotta admit it.. had a real hard time finding sea salt! Loved the ceramics in Grottaglia, Loved that the markets ahd the ovens to precook, they did it twice a week! I also had the luck to find fresh capers and came back home ( florence) and made my own salt packed capers!

I second and third CArabe, Vestri and perche non..and now GROM,on via delle Oche and Via del Campanile, more in my site.. in the newsletter section there is an article on Gelato in Florence...

My recipe is at the bottom of the page on the link. I gave the vodka version... but actually use whole grain for mine. I think it is faster and tastes better. the whole grain extracts the flavor faster and doesn't impart any other flavor. Friend from Naples actually age theirs in small barrels...

I am ready to make my nocino... thursday, Juen 24th, being the correct day in FLorence, St john the Baptist's day.. here is my recipe using vodka, which is easier to find. I actually use whole grain alcohol, which being stronger, extracts the essence faster! Tradition is 40 days and 40 nights.. some religious thing... But I find a month is fine, don't do 6 months as many say. I age it after I have filtered it before drinking. I also want to make the French Vin di Noix this year... love the french addition of wine instead of the water... I have made my own vermouth with quinine bark , bitter ornage rind , regular orange rind and other secret ingredients which I bought at the Pharmacy in Agen!

Ore, will be interested to see how LA markets compare to San Lorenzo!!!

Umbria.. no black truffles.. no lentils??? it is such a fabulous cuisine.. none of the handmade pastas? They also have some fun rustic desserts.. I am not a real Tuscan.. only for 20 years.. but love Umbrian cuisine!

Cous cous,there is a festival in San Vito a Capo every year, sharbet./granita, marzapan.. .